Maiko 101 Challenge
by Destiny's Apprentice
Summary: Because 101 is more fun. Prompt #69: Seasons, Part Two: One couldn't help but notice that the fluctuations in weather corresponded to more than just their respective seasons.
1. Obsession

**A/N: **_Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm pretty far behind all the cool kids who already started these, but they've been sitting around for long enough and I've decided to dig them up. I had originally planned on doing all the prompts in the correct order, but I honestly didn't think it would really matter. Especially since most people don't have the list right under their noses...and because some people like myself are too random to stick to a set list :) Some will relate, others will not, some will have multiple installments. Oh, and none are in chronological order either, since that's kind of a drag. I like to switch things up. Also, for the record, I'm trying my best to make these prompts completely different from any others that have already been published. So whatever you're expecting the prompt to be about based on title...well, don't. Chances are you'll be totally wrong, but that's what makes them different and fun :) Enjoy! And don't forget to review!_

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><p><strong>Prompt #38: Obsession<strong>

**0o0o0o0o0**

Mai was genuinely amazed at his ignorance. And admittedly, a little jealous too...of the ignorance, that is.

They gathered around the palace wall every morning, with pathetic little glances and sighs. They followed him around town with suppressed giggles when he was feeling adventurous enough to journey out there. Some of bolder ones even sent the occasional gift to the palace.

It may have been all right with her if she didn't have to witness it. She was secure enough in their relationship that all they were to her were silly, stupid girls.

But there were some days that she wished Zuko would do something about them. Perhaps he was a little caught up in the glory of it all and saw them more as admirers rather than desperate hopefuls competing for his attention.

She had tried to ward them off herself, but it had been largely unsuccessful. She'd tried making a point of walking closer to him when they were together, giving death glares when he wasn't looking, and even conspicuously holding his hand. All in vain. With the exception of that one time when the hand-holding had earned her an eye-roll from a particularly audacious girl (who Mai quickly put in her place with a few choice threats while Zuko was unaware and speaking to a companionable vender).

It wasn't a serious problem or anything, although it was a constant irritation. She felt like she had a decent amount of control over the situation, and she really didn't want to bring it up with Zuko. She imagined that asking him to start slaying his personal fan girls probably wouldn't go over well. So she _tolerated _it all.

Until the breaking point.

Sure, she had overheard many of the adoring comments that they not-so-quietly whispered to each other in the past. How handsome he must look with his hair down (she had seen and _felt _it between her fingers countless times); how they wished he would practice firebending shirtless for them (she had seen him do plenty of other things shirtless...and pants-less, even); how _dreamy _they thought his scar was (that confirmed the fact that they were, indeed, crazy, because no sane person would be attracted to such a horrifying mark from such a horrifying incident).

But this new little comment topped them all. And she didn't even need to hear it for herself.

The creature with eyelashes had so boldly violated all royal conventions and took Zuko's forearm while he and Mai were admiring various tapestries and muttered something in his ear. And instantly, Zuko's entire face turned crimson while he gaped in horror at the she-beast's obscenities. She just stared back with twinkling eyes and a plastered-on smile, batting her eyelashes and hoping he would succumb to her _overwhelming appeal._

He chanced a glimpse at Mai, who of course had witnessed the little exchange and was glaring daggers at the daring young woman from the other side of Zuko, while fingering the actual daggers she had up her sleeve.

Zuko honestly felt that he should have been saying something to remedy the situation before all-out violence broke out in his nation, but he found himself too tongue-tied and admittedly, a little curious as to what his girlfriend would do to the unsuspecting girl.

But when her eyes met Mai's, pushing her limits to the point where the knives almost flew out of her sleeve, Mai suddenly broke the glare and exchanged it with a complacent expression.

She finally knew how to end the problem entirely. And she was honestly surprised at herself that it took her that long to find a solution to the dilemma that was the Zuko-obsessed female population.

Just as Zuko looked as if he was about to tell the girl off, Mai gave a final smirk to the offensive victim and the crowd around them that had gathered once they realized that their Fire Lord was present in town and roughly pulled Zuko to her before he even realized what was happening. Their lips crashed together in an instant and her arms wound tightly around his body in a way that he was very familiar with.

Something seemed to click in Zuko's mind, because Mai felt his own smirk against her mouth and a low snicker before he responded in turn.

There were gasps and wide-eyed stares that neither paid attention to, as the crowd witnessed what was sure to be the most public display of affection in Fire Nation history.

After both were satisfied some long minutes later, they broke the kiss to garish catcalls and applause from some of the more manly men, sniffles and despair from the wretched girls, and some poor, innocent old man's fainting. They both saw the girl from before standing on the edge of the crowd, who gave them what she must have thought was an intimidating glare before turning on her heel and storming off. Zuko just looked at Mai sheepishly, still feverishly red from the overwhelming attention and their own passion.

"You're welcome," she murmured with just a hint of smugness.


	2. Royalty

**Prompt #41: Royalty**

The Fire Sages entered the throne room in their usual formation. Before the throne, the lesser sages bowed, their foreheads brushing the polished floor, while the head sage carried the red velvet-lined lacquered box to the Fire Lord.

"As per your request, my Lord," he said humbly, kneeling and presenting the open box with raised arms.

Zuko extinguished the already-low flames in front of the dais and stepped down to the ground level. He looked majestic, his long robes billowing behind him as he approached the group.

Carefully, he picked the golden plated diadem from its velvet bed. With his other hand, he gestured vaguely for the sages to rise, and they watched him with wrinkled, wary eyes.

He turned the piece this way and that in his hands, trailing his fingers over the sharp points of the flame's shape. It was quite extraordinary, wonderfully ornate with small designs lining the edges and gleaming even in the low light of the room. He had to give his craftsmen credit; it looked flawlessly restored, considering the last time it was worn was over twenty years ago, by his grandmother Ilah. It was strange, trying to imagine his wife wearing the ancient artifact nearly every day of her life after their upcoming wedding.

One of the sages cleared his throat politely, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"It's beautiful," he said in response but then frowned a little, "But there's a big problem."

Immediately, all of the sages became visibly startled. "And what, may I ask, is the problem?" The head sage asked, flustered and completely bewildered.

"It's too small," Zuko said simply, meeting their eyes with his stern, unwavering gaze.

"T-t-too _small_?" A sage sputtered out unbelievingly. "Why, it's the same crown that has been worn for centuries, only it has been restored as you—"

Zuko held out a hand to silence him, exhaling loudly. "I never accused anyone of replacing the crown. All I ask is for the crown to be larger."

"...How much larger?"

"The same size as mine," Zuko said evenly, his eyes locked onto the head sage's, daring him to challenge him.

"Absolutely not! That's unheard of!" A sage argued indignantly. "You would dare to forsake tradition?"

"Tradition is not infallible," Zuko said through gritted teeth, the syllables clipped due to restrained anger.

"Please, my Lord, be reasonable," another tried. "The tradition is perfectly logical; it exists merely to demonstrate the symbol of your power over the nation!"

"Which is exactly why the tradition must be sacrificed," Zuko finished grimly. "As long as I am on _that_ throne," he commanded, his echoing words accompanied by a violent gesture of his arm to the dais behind him, "The Fire Lady will have the same powers as myself, and will be treated with equal, if not _more_, respect."

The sages exchanged quick, astonished looks but remained silent. Zuko continued, "This is a new era for our country, is it not? And even ignoring that fact, I would never intend for Mai to be reduced to a powerless housewife." Returning to the box, he placed the crown back into the impressionable velvet. "Tell the craftsmen to alter this to the correct size, or to create a new one, if they must." He turned back to the throne and repositioned himself properly, signaling their exit with silence.

"Well then, if your decision if final..." The head sage trailed off. The group performed the traditional Fire Nation bow and quickly shuffled out of the room.

Zuko watched them leave with abated anger and decided that he wouldn't mention the incident to Mai—there was no telling what she'd say if she found out he had made a scene over symbolism she would certainly consider insignificant. He knew that she would never settle for being anything less than him, regardless of the size of a stupid crown.

"I'm such a dork," he muttered to himself.


	3. Smell

**Prompt #64: Smell**

"Zuko, come quickly!" Zuko groaned for the fifth time that afternoon.

He trudged reluctantly toward the sound of his uncle's voice, where there was sure to be yet another sample of a mysterious plant needing his unnecessary approval. Iroh had been relentlessly searching the field for the last few hours for the plant that would brew the perfect tea. Naturally, Zuko had been recruited for the quest, even though his knowledge of wild plants and flowers was close to nothing and would most likely hinder the quest rather than help it.

"This had better be the last one," he muttered under his breath, his uncle finally coming into his line of sight.

Iroh looked up from a small bed of white flowers. "There you are, nephew! We're in luck!" A wide grin spread across his face before he bent down and pulled some of the flowers from the ground. "These will make the finest brew of all!" He proclaimed proudly, handing them to Zuko and stooping down to gather more.

Slowly, Zuko raised the handful to his nose, trying to identify the mysterious flower. And he was amazed to have immediately recognized the scent as jasmine.

But as soon as the scent had assaulted him, it was too late—he could not stop the onslaught of memories that it triggered.

It smelled like home. It reminded him of bright summers spent outside in the garden near the turtleduck pond, lazing around without a care in the world. It reminded him of the days when he used to tag along at his mother's side and watch as she lifted the delicate white flowers to her calm, smiling face.

But it triggered something even more heart-achingly familiar, something he had tried (and failed) to forget.

He thought of the quiet girl with pale skin and ribbons in her dark, dark hair who only ever smiled when he was around; the girl who made him blush and stutter, and, just with the raising of a finely arched brow, made him feel like a complete and utter moron. The girl who had daringly took his hand in hers one day that she had managed to escape from his sister. The girl whose hair had smelled just like the flowers he held now, as she held him gently in her little arms when his whole world had caved in.

If he didn't get rid of the flowers, he might just go crazy.

With a strangled yell, he threw the offending flowers to the ground and stomped them into the earth. When he was thoroughly satisfied, he looked down, seeing the injured petals peeking out from beneath the dirt, damaged beyond repair yet still crying out to be saved.

Then, meeting his uncle's bewildered and anguished expression, he spat out, "I'm not drinking _any_ tea made from _that_! I'm allergic!" before storming off in a huff.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Hey, just wanted to give a quick thanks to anyone who reviewed so far! Keep it up guys, I appreciate it!_


	4. Tears

_**A/N: **__Finally finished this one! And, as you may have noticed, it doesn't quite fit the qualifications for a drabble...So I decided that from this point on, these prompts are going to be however long I feel like making them, regardless of whatever unofficial rule there seems to be about Maiko prompt length (take that, society! :D) So yeah, once again, (raises glass) here's to me being different!_

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><p><strong>Prompt #12: Tears<strong>

**0o0o0o0o0**

"No one knows where she went or how he died. It happened so fast."

Azula's words from earlier still played through Mai's head. The princess had been relatively unmoved by the past day's events, which honestly didn't come as much of a surprise to Mai. Although her demeanor didn't have the same sort of aggressiveness that it usually did, and she seemed less prone to ordering her and Ty Lee around, but Mai suspected that was only temporary.

The princess recounted what she knew to Mai and Ty Lee, although her approach was removed and objective, as if she was a complete outsider to the events that had shaken the nation. Except for the parts involving Zuko, in which she spared no mercy.

"You know, it's strange how things have played out lately. First Lu Ten, then _dear _Uncle's disappearance, and now Grandfather and Mother," she pointed out rather loftily to them as they had tea together that morning. She sipped a bit before she continued with a dangerous smirk, "I wonder who will be next."

Naïve as she was, Ty Lee missed the insinuation. "Well, it's not gonna be you. Mai and I will make sure it's not. Right, Mai?" She looked over at Mai with wide eyes for support. She answered with a quiet, polite, and yet still indifferent, "Of course" before returning to her tea.

"I'm glad I can rely on you girls, at least," Azula replied a little too sweetly; the obvious fact that she could handle herself _just fine _went unsaid. Ty Lee just gave a big grin and bobbed her head up and down a few times, her erratic braid swinging in time.

"I think it's great that you're handling everything so well," Ty Lee said, adjusting herself so that she was sitting on her haunches. "I wish I could be as strong as you."

"Hm, I know," Azula said dismissively, "Unfortunately, the same can't be said about my brother." Ty Lee giggled and Azula smirked and gave them both that certain conspiratorial look, the tell-tale signs of another one of Azula's gossip sessions, which of course always centered on grilling Zuko.

"He's been moping around the palace ever since he got the news," Azula continued, false remorse laced in her tone, "I don't think Father would be too pleased to hear that the heir to his throne can't even handle his own feelings."

Azula's gaze fell on Mai, her expression soft but her eyes piercing, watching her carefully. Of course she had known about the relationship (or lack thereof) between Mai and the _sorely_ unfortunate Zuko, mostly because she had orchestrated the majority of their interactions. So she _dared _Mai to disagree with her or start defending him.

But Mai's face remained as impassive as ever (a survival technique she had taught herself). Only a trained expert would notice that she hesitated, just slightly, in meeting Azula's stare. She settled on agreeing with her without outright insulting him.

"He'll learn to suck it up in time."

The stare lasted a few more seconds while Azula's frown deepened a little, as if she was disappointed in Mai's simple agreement. But in half an instant it was gone, replaced by a bored expression as she instead turned her attention to a perfectly manicured hand.

"He will, if he has an ounce of intelligence in him," she replied coolly, "Otherwise, he'll only disappoint Father more...if that's actually possible," she added with a snicker. Ty Lee chimed in with her exaggerated guffaws. Mai only frowned more.

In a decisive move, Mai took it upon herself to conveniently excuse herself to the washroom, informing Azula, then standing almost silently and drifting away.

"Oh, hurry back, Mai," Azula called casually to her quickly-retreating form.

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><p>She honestly didn't intend to end up in the garden, but somehow her feet had taken her there. As boring as the garden was, it still beat sitting around pretending to listen to Azula.<p>

It was windier than she thought. The mid-spring cherry blossoms fluttered delicately past her and practically covered the pathway through the garden. Mai had never cared for them much herself; they reminded her too much of the perfume that her mother drowned her in whenever Mai had to attend a formal event.

The source of the blossoms rested near the turtleduck pond, its draping branches extending over the water. Partially obscured by all the branches was a small figure, sending what looked like chunks of bread barely flitting over the surface of the pond, one piece straight after the other. One narrowly missed one of the turtleducklings, prompting the mother to quack angrily and lead her brood away, toward the far end of the pond.

Pulling aside a curtain of branches, she found Prince Zuko sitting there, growling under his breath now that they were gone, but still tearing off chunks of bread from the loaf and whipping them across the water. He didn't even notice when she plopped down aside of him.

"You know, they might actually _like_ to eat if they weren't attacked every time they tried," Mai said dully after a few minutes of him ignoring her and her getting bored.

He jumped a little at her voice, the loaf almost falling in the water. "What are _you _doing here?" He sneered rudely, crossing lanky arms against his chest. "Did my sister send you here or something?"

Apparently, the week-old fountain prank was still fresh in his mind. And he still partly blamed her for it. Wonderful.

"No," she replied shortly, in the same tone as before.

"Oh." His expression softened, part of his anger melting away. They both stared at the ground for a few more minutes.

"Then why are you here?" He asked blankly, deciding to break the silence.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was bored."

"Oh." Silence ensued again. Zuko fidgeted with a loose thread on his sleeve. Mai sighed.

"It's not fair...she doesn't even care," he said sullenly, completely out of the blue.

"What?" Surprised, Mai blinked a little, even though she suspected she knew where this was going.

"Azula," he clarified, not bothering to hide the contempt in his tone. "Our whole family's gone, and she doesn't even care! No one does." She noticed he failed to mention the only other remaining member of his family, but somehow she knew that wasn't a mistake.

"Just because they don't care...doesn't mean you're not allowed to," Mai said quietly, suddenly feeling shy around him.

"I know that," he said sourly, propping his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands. Mai tried not to take any offense.

"So what's the problem, then?"

"Who said I had a problem?" He snapped, sending her a glare. She just looked at him. Eventually, he heaved a sigh and looked away. "Ok, fine. Maybe I do."

"...Well?" She asked expectantly.

"I don't know!" He said hotly, turning on her again. "Did you just come here to bug me about this?"

"You brought it up," she reminded him. It didn't help.

He shot her a look before deciding to feel bad for himself and brood silently. Mai watched him carefully, waiting patiently.

In doing so, she started noticing the strangest things about him. Like how his hands, still held in fists under his chin, seemed like they could easily be twice as large as hers. Or how his lips, even when they held a frown, still looked appealing. Or that his skin, in general, was tanner than she remembered it being, confirmed by the fact that it was still white close to his hairline. Maybe he had been practicing firebending forms in the blistering heat that had recently swept the nation...

Mai flushed at the thought and immediately banished it to the depths of her mind, knowing that the pink on her cheeks had nothing to do with the thought of the hot weather.

"I just feel like it's...kind of my fault...I guess." Zuko's voice suddenly entering her thoughts didn't help at all, and it took all of her willpower to school her expression into impassivity and not become any redder. "I saw her before she left, you know," He informed her with a sudden added degree of storytelling zeal.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, licking his lips a little, his eyes now half-lidded and very, very distant. "I think I was the last person to see her. She woke me up in the middle of the night, said something about protecting me and not forgetting who I was...and then she just left. Just like that."

Although it was an interesting and sad piece of information, Mai couldn't exactly say it was surprising. She'd often seen Zuko and his mother together; it was obvious that they were close. Of course she would leave him with something before falling off the face of the earth. Although she had no idea what Ursa was talking about when she said protecting...it only increased the mystery of the royal conspiracy in Mai's mind. But Mai never bothered herself with politics when she didn't have to, considering she got more than enough of that in her own household.

Still, it was a little heart-wrenching to see Zuko so distressed, and she took pity on him for having two of the most unpleasant people she knew of as the only remaining members of his family. Unless the General decided to return to the Fire Nation...that was assuming he survived whatever "spirit world" journey some claimed he was currently taking.

"I'm sorry," she began softly, putting a small hand on his shoulder, hoping it would suffice.

"I should have said something! I could have stopped her! She would've listened to me!" He lamented, only bowing his head more.

Mai knew, even as uninvolved as she was, that that wasn't true, as regrettable as it was, and she wasn't about to let him beat himself up for nothing. "Zuko, I think her mind was already made up—"

"How do you know? You weren't even there!" He retorted nastily, and Mai snapped her hand away as if his shoulder had suddenly ignited. "If I told her to stay, she would have listened! I _know _she would've..."

He turned his face away from her, now looking just as helpless as she knew he felt. Even with him trying to hide himself like he was, she still saw when a single drop escaped from between heavily scrunched lids, slowly making its way down his face. He must have felt it, because he began angrily wiping at his face with his sleeve, probably just embarrassed that a _girl _had seen it. Mai didn't care.

Instead, she pulled his arm away before he could rub off his whole face, holding it gently for a little, but still having enough discretion not to look directly at him. They just sat, Zuko trying to regain his broken world, Mai as his silent support.

"I feel like the whole world's against me now. I don't know what to do," he finally mumbled. He pulled a loose blossom from the ground, tearing off the petals one by one, letting the breeze carry them away. "It's like they all expect me not to care, too."

Mai knew the feeling all too well. Her entire life depended on her ability to mask emotion- from her parents, from other aristocrats, from Azula. It wasn't a pleasant thing, but it was at least a little comforting to know that someone shared the predicament.

Maybe those expected not to care could care for each other.

"That doesn't mean you're alone," she told him, voicing her thoughts.

He looked up from the cherry blossom abruptly, donning a befuddled expression. "What d'you—"

She only smiled faintly in response, looking away when she felt pink tinge her cheeks again. It was kind of cute, if only a little annoying, how dense he could be sometimes.

Realization spread across his face almost comically, from his huge eyes to his half-open, gaping mouth. "_You? _You care?" He asked stupidly, obviously not quite believing the circumstances. Mai didn't say anything, still half-regretting saying anything at all. What it really _that _hard to believe?

"_Why?_" He asked, suddenly sounding breathless. She noted that he no longer seemed capable of making direct eye contact.

_Because I feel bad, and your family is evil. Because you're a big dweeb and someone has to look out for you. Because I think I l—_

She shrugged as casually as she could. "Because it would be stupid not to."

He nodded slowly, numbly, the dopey look still plastered onto his face. "Oh...okay. Thanks." And then it was replaced by a deliberating expression as he mulled some unknown thought over.

"Uh...I'm sorry about the whole fountain thing...by the way," He finally added awkwardly, the words rushed, "I know you didn't have anything to do with it and—"

"It's fine. It doesn't matter," she told him. Even though it _did _matter to her, just not the way he thought.

"So um...friends?"

"Sure," Mai agreed anticlimactically.

He stood then, brushing the dirt off his pants and then offering Mai a hand. She took it and he pulled her off the ground too. It was warm, like she imagined firebenders' hands always were, and she was too distracted by this and the fact that her assumption from before was correct (her pale hand never looked smaller to her) to notice that he didn't let go of it when he should have.

Then they both realized it at the same moment. Zuko's face flushed, and he whipped his hand away, placing it behind his head and shifting his gaze to the greenery around them.

"I should be getting back. Azula will be wondering where I went," Mai said truthfully, feeling her spirit sink just at the thought of it.

Zuko nodded briskly. "Y-yeah. You should...do that," He finished lamely.

Mai took off at a fast pace back to the palace, her mind too muddled to even brainstorm an excuse to tell Azula.

Zuko watched her the whole way, and couldn't help but think to himself that maybe girls weren't as crazy as he had thought.


	5. Letters

_Author's Note: So, needless to say, I hate being away for so long. College has had its demands lately, and unfortunately I had to prioritize :P Believe me, I'd much rather be writing these. Anywho, this "little" piece takes place a little over a year after the end of the war. For anyone who was wondering before they even read it. I tried to really change up what most people would expect for the "letter" prompt- you'll see what I mean. It's actually a fun little idea that not too many people have addressed, so I had fun with it!. Hope you enjoy! I try to put as much thought into each prompt as possible!_

**Prompt #45: Letters**

**0o0o0o0o0**

The room smelled faintly of smoke as the Firelord sent gentle embers to the edges of yet another piece of parchment. With half-lidded eyes, he watched the paper slowly curl and blacken until it was only a pile of ashes sitting in a specially designated bowl on his desk.

With a glance to the moon (now resting high amongst the stars) and a short sigh, he grabbed a clean sheet and dipped his brush in ink. But the brush remained idle between his fingers, the words refusing to spill out like he willed them to.

It was late, and it was far from his first attempt at this. He decided then that this would be his last attempt for the night, feeling heavy lids that had already made their mind up.

Two hours later, two half-finished letters sat on his desk. His head was propped up only by his elbow, as sleep threatened to claim him for the night. He had to finish though; he owed it to them, as a form of very long-overdue compensation, small as it was. Blearily, he returned to the task, trying to make sure the characters were straight—

"What is this?"

He yelped, the voice nearly making him fall out of his chair. The brush he had been holding slipped and clattered to the floor, slowly rolling away and leaving a path of ink in its wake. He watched as Mai bent down to pick it up, avoiding the mess of ink that now stained the floor.

"Mai...what are you doing here?" He asked groggily, eyes squinted as he rubbed the side of his head.

She placed the brush back in the ink well, shrugging slightly. "Finding out what my husband does at night instead of sleeping."

He puffed out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I was coming to bed soon, really." He reached for her hand but she dodged it, instead peering over him at the letters.

"What were you working on, anyway?" She reached over him for one of them, but he whipped both of them away, suddenly very defensive.

"N-nothing!" He stammered, "Just...boring Earth Kingdom business!" Zuko plastered on a nervous smile and Mai rolled her eyes but decided to play along, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Maybe I could help you, then. You never fail to remind me how diplomatic I can be," she smiled faintly.

He shook his head violently. "No no no! It's fine, I have it covered! It's almost finished anyway!"

Mai smile grew slowly, turning into a sly smirk. "I'm sure it is, but you're still a terrible liar. And the sleep deprivation isn't helping any."

He scowled a little as he allowed Mai to pry one of the letters from his hands. She perched herself gracefully on his desk, unrolling the parchment and reading in silence. At first, Zuko tried to look away, both out of embarrassment and maybe out of slight fear of her reaction, but he found his eyes sliding back to her each time. So he didn't miss when an eyebrow quirked and her eyes widened just a fraction in surprise at the text in front of her.

Zuko honestly couldn't remember the last time _anything _surprised Mai. Not even Ty Lee popping out of an impossibly small box at her last birthday party could faze her. _"Anyone could have predicted that," _she had declared with a sigh,_ "Where else would she be?"_

What she was reading now was nothing compared to that, yet he could've sworn her frown was growing by the second. Naturally, Zuko began to fear the worst.

"It's not what you think," he blurted out, trying to save himself before he attained bodily harm. Then he realized how much worse it sounded once he said that and almost slapped himself.

She looked up, eyes locking onto his, her face disturbingly calm. "Give me the other letter," she said evenly, rolling up the first and dropping it in his lap. He obeyed, extending his arm toward her as if feeding a wild animal.

She took it from him just as she had the first, her gaze perusing it slowly. Zuko waited in the unbearable silence again, tapping his fingers on the solid wood of the desk, trying to ease his tension.

Finally, she put the letter down, folding her hands on her lap and straightening herself like a perfect model of etiquette. "Explain," she said quietly, but her eyes compensated, never faltering.

Zuko practically leapt out of his chair, quickly grabbing one of her hands between his own, words spilling from his mouth, "I know it seems really bad, but I promise it's not at all—"

Mai couldn't help rearing back a little. "Zuko—"

"It makes a lot of sense, really! They're—"

"Zuko." A little louder.

"…absolutely no one! I hardly even know—"

"Zuko!" The hand that wasn't in a vice grip flew to cover his mouth before he could finish. "Shut. Up."

He flushed pink, mostly from embarrassment rather than offense, but still allowed Mai to obstruct his speech. After a moment, she removed her hand when she deemed it safe, letting her fingers gently trail along his undamaged cheek. "You dork," she muttered with a simple roll of her eyes, "I'm not mad."

His good eye shot wide open. "You're not?"

"No. But tell me why you thought I was," she countered, a ghost of a smirk on her lips as she watched him go from shocked to relieved to nauseated in a span of five seconds, "You didn't think I was letting you go that easy?"

He considered her for a moment and then pulled a hand back and collapsed in his chair again, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "It's a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere," she reminded him, dangling one of the letters in front of him. "Start with this one."

Zuko cringed at it and swallowed hard. "She helped Uncle…and me too, I guess. He had skin poisoning while we were fugitives and she and her family showed us hospitality."

Mai paused to reread some of the letter. "And you're compensating her with 'your best regards, apologies, and the finest five ostrich-horses'…why?" Zuko turned the color of her nightgown and mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?"

He looked at her sheepishly. "Because I stole hers." He cleared his throat. "Transportation. You know." Mai could honestly say that she didn't know.

Despite this, she just nodded mutely, then gesturing to the other paper. He could have sworn her lips twitched ever so slightly. "And this?"

"I met her when I was working in Ba Sing Se," he said simply.

Mai waited patiently.

"She…wanted to be friends," he added quickly, "So we ate dinner together."

Mai blinked, raising a brow.

"It was Uncle's idea, I swear!" he blurted out suddenly. "And I hated it! I had to lie about everything, and the whole time I was with her, I was thinking of you!"

Mai contemplated this in silence for a moment. And then she did the last thing he ever expected.

She laughed.

It was actually more of a giggle, low and raspy and melodious all the same. He may have even thought it beautiful if she hadn't been laughing at him. "You're ridiculous," she breathed out.

He gawked at her. "_I'm _ridiculous?"

"You're writing letters because you stole an animal and because you're a bad dater?"

"What's wrong with that?" He growled, feeling his dignity run farther and farther away from him by the second. He didn't know what her problem was. Writing the letters always made sense, still made perfect sense to him, even now.

Mai just shook her head and sighed. "Do you solve all of your problems with letters?" She wondered.

Sudden hurt flashed in his eyes for a second, replaced quickly by frustration. "Mai, I said I was sorry! How many times—"

"I know, whatever," she cut him off, placating him with a wave of her hand. _"I'm not mad," _she repeated, "But if you keep staying awake until all hours just to keep secrets, I will be."

There was a bout of silence in which Mai stared at Zuko and Zuko stared at the ground. "Fair," he mumbled finally, feeling moody and a little childish. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mai hop off the desk nimbly, standing at his side and gently pulling him to his feet.

"By the way," she said, still holding one of his hands and giving it a squeeze, "I don't care about anyone before me." She met his gaze, giving him a genuine smile that quickly grew into a smirk when she added, "Let's not forget who the jealous one here is."

He was about to disagree, but closed his mouth, deciding he didn't have the energy to argue the point. Mai took notice immediately and gave his hand a tug. "Bed," she said simply, and began leading him toward the door. He let her, and they walked wordlessly out of the room and down the hall, arms linked and shoulders touching.

Once they reached their quarters, Zuko instantly began shedding his unnecessary layers of formalwear, the same he had been in since he had awoken almost an entire day earlier. Mai sat on the bed, waiting, watching in amusement as he practically ripped it off, obviously eager for rest.

Crossing the room, he climbed into bed and settled underneath the glorious sheets, but not before he deeply exhaled, reducing all of the candles in the room to wisps of smoke.

When he glanced at her again about to wish her goodnight, he found her frowning slightly, not in anger, but instead as if she had just realized something. "Why were you thinking of me?" She asked, almost imperceptibly quieter than normal. "That was a long time ago." He knew she had meant to say _'before we were dating.'_

A slow smile pulled at his lips. "It was." He remembered all too well, countless days spent at sea, trekking through mountains, sleeping in caves, the picture of a girl with red ribbons in her hair always tucked in the same pocket. Even if he couldn't give it voice, the truth was always there in black and white. And meeting other girls just made it even clearer.

The simple fact of the matter was that there had never been anyone but her.

Even as he viewed her now in the moonlight, a hand propping up her head, her dark hair spilling over the sheets, contrasting with the milky white of her skin, and amber eyes locked with his, he found himself counting his blessings. He edged closer to her until their foreheads touched and his lips met hers. She responded immediately and fervently, placing her hands on his back to pull him even closer, almost to the point where they were flush against each other. They had only been married for a few months, and Zuko already suspected that he would never tire of this- the softness of her lips, the pull of her hands, the feel of her body against his.

She broke away first to catch a breath, watching him frown at the break of contact. She smiled softly, sending a jolt through his heart. "I thought you were tired."

"I never said that."

"Didn't need to." She patted his cheek and disentangled herself from him. "Sleep."

"Maybe…we could just make up for it tomorrow morning, then," he suggested huskily, placing another trail of kisses down her neck.

She groaned and pushed him away. "Thank Agni we aren't dating anymore. That poor girl you're writing…"

"I am _not _a bad dater!"


	6. Seasons: Fall

_**A/N: **Yay, I'm back! For a little. This one's going to be a little different from what you've seen so far. You'll see what I mean :)_

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><p><strong>Prompt #69: Season<strong>

****~.~.~.~.~.~.~**  
><strong>

**Fall (Out)**

The season had changed since the day of his coronation a couple months prior. Their casual stroll through the royal garden told her as much.

The midday sun was still high in the sky, but it did little to actually warm her. The only reason she hadn't needed an extra robe happened to be walking right next to her, his perpetually warm hand linked with hers as he admired the foliage of the season. There were some reds, some yellows, some..._orange, _and some already dead.

Naturally, it really wasn't Mai's cup of tea. In fact, neither was the season in general.

All it was to her was a promise of bitter winds and bleak, murky days typical of the fast-approaching winter in the Fire Nation.

Every once in a while, she'd let a complaint slip to Zuko about it, but it didn't seem to bother him much. Lately, nothing really did. Even though there were terribly large adjustments to be made when he became Firelord, he took it all in stride and handled everything relatively well.

When she thought about it, she couldn't remember a time when he was happier. It was beyond strange. It was borderline _wrong._

He laughed at stupid things. He smiled sometimes when she said something sarcastic (when before, it would almost always lead to an argument). Sometimes she wondered if she'd let him spend too much time with the Avatar, who of course could be the only culprit behind his personality makeover. Sure, his other happy-go-lucky friends could be equally guilty, but she held fast to the belief that not even Zuko would have been stupid enough to let a few Water Tribe peasants or some Earth Kingdom rabbleinfluence him. Not that Arrow Head was much better, but still...she had to give the kid some credit for saving the world, or whatever.

Mai honestly was happy that he was happy and often wished that that would be enough.

But the fact of the matter was that his duties had stolen him away from her countless times. She sadly regretted that this rendezvous was only the third one since his coronation. She often wondered how much of her happiness she would have to sacrifice for his own.

Her expression must have betrayed what she was thinking about because Zuko had stopped walking and asked, with an annoyingly sweet rub to her hand, if she was feeling okay.

She kept silent; her only response was moving her free hand to run across the edges of the diadem perched in his hair. As she began to ease it and the topknot out, he asked her what in the world she was doing, yet didn't move to stop her.

She delayed an actual reply once again. Once the topknot was out, she placed the crown in his free hand. With his hair blowing in the wind like it was (really, the calmer winds were the only thing the season was good for) and the look of confusion on his face, he looked much more like the Zuko she was familiar with.

His eyes kept darting between the crown and Mai's now unreadable expression. "Wh-"

"I miss you," she said bluntly with a frown, as if it would explain everything, before kissing him full on the lips.

He stood bewildered for a moment while the initial shock wore off, but eventually she felt him return the kiss with equal, if not greater, fervor.

Zuko found it a bit strange, and painfully pathetic, that it took him until that moment to realize just how much he missed having Mai around. Oftentimes his schedule was packed so tightly that he hardly had time to even think about Mai. He had hoped that today would change things a little, since he knew that she had to be angry with him for delaying their visits for so long.

From afar, the two of them probably looked happier than ever, standing in the midst of the autumnal garden kissing the life out of each other.

Looks were deceiving, as always.

They both felt the complications of their current relationship, unspoken but still overwhelmingly clear. Both of them also chose to ignore it, for the time being.

Zuko found himself too preoccupied, wanting more than anything to apologize for being away from her and at the same time, relishing in the feel of his girlfriend's embrace.

Mai laced her long fingers around the nape of Zuko's neck, tugging gently on the longer strands of hair that got in the way. He grunted a little and his hands on the small of her back tightened, but the kiss didn't change the way she wanted it to. It remained forceful, but very slow and languid. She found herself missing the days before the war's end, in the heat of the previous summer, when just one look at him led to quick, hot, breathless kisses up against a wall somewhere in the depths of the palace.

She wondered if he'd forgotten about all of that. He had more important things on his mind, for sure.

He held her against himself after they broke apart, fixing her wind-ruffled bangs and placing delicate kisses on them.

Mai's eyes were fixated not on him, but instead on some of the dead, brown leaves on the ground around them, as she couldn't help but think that the world would do away with more than just the leaves.

_To be continued..._


	7. Seasons: Winter

**Prompt #69: Seasons**

_**Winter**_

She stood with practiced ease in the garden, pinning down the tree trunk with a steady, unwavering gaze. With a single whip of her hand the blades flew, making clean contact with the bark in a satisfying thunk. The cold bit at her exposed wrists and hands, but she didn't care. She figured she might as well let them go numb- the rest of her was already.

A bit of her was alarmed at how well she adapted to the cold when before, it was so undesirable. Maybe it was only an excuse to stay away from the many flames that warmed her house. They reminded her too much. The numbness would fade, melt away, replaced by a throbbing pain. She would see the world again without the clouds and haze, see the bright fire, in his hands, in his eyes. The fire was everywhere and it was so unforgiving.

She reached in her sleeve for another. Another flick of the wrist, another sting of the cold, another flash of memory.

_She heard the quick rhythm of his boots as he made his way toward the room. A sigh._

_He took her hand in his, nearly out of breath. "I know, I'm late. The councilmen weren't agreeing and—"_

_"—You're sorry. I know." Looking at him wasn't really an option, but neither was the finely decorated room and extravagant, cold dinner she had arranged._

_"I could have the servants send more food." She blinked once and said nothing._

_Then, finally, "You forgot what today was, didn't you?" That, or was she just being selfish?_

The more she threw, the warmer she was. The tree looked like a pincushion.

_"Maybe this was the wrong time to get involved. Your mind has more important things to worry about than me."_

_His good eye shot open. His grip on her hand tightened. "You know that's not true."_

_She tried to pull her hand away, but it wouldn't budge. "Zuko, let me go."_

_He scowled deeply, holding on even tighter. "No."_

She was down to four blades.

_She rolled her eyes. "Now you want me here?"_

_"I never said that I didn't," he muttered._

_"Could've fooled me."_

Now **three…**

_"I can't believe you. You really think I don't care at all?" He let out a mirthless laugh, "You're one to talk."_

_History was repeating itself, and she would learn from it this time._

_"Enough," she snarled. His grip loosened in a heartbeat. Then more quietly, "That's enough."_

**Two…**

_Her footsteps echoed against the hard tile. She didn't turn to look back._

_"Mai…"_

**One…**

_He had caught up now, and had grabbed her wrist once more. She spun around, looking directly at him for the first time that night and seeing nothing but rage flaring up in his golden eyes._

_His grip was warm. Much too warm._

_She screamed._

The last blade missed the tree by a few feet and landed in the dead grass.

She flinched, lowering her pounding wrist, noting with a small frown that the ruddy, fleshless underside had thawed out.

_To be continued…_

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><p><strong><em>AN: _**_A short one for ya'll- probably the shortest thing I've ever written. I'm working on the power in understatements, you see, so I'm hoping the few words I did choose spoke for themselves ;)_

_And yes, to answer your question from the last chapter- this is what I meant by different. That, and the fact that I'm probably breaking the prompt rules by making 1 into four chapters, haha! _

_As always, thanks again for your support- I appreciate your patience so very much, considering how long ago I started this series OTL_


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